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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29166663">and it went like this</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BananasofThorns/pseuds/BananasofThorns'>BananasofThorns</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Enderman Hybrid Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Gen, Hopeful Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Minecraft Mechanics, Minor Character Death, Not Canon Compliant, Piglin Hybrid Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Winged Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), as in Techno kills some people (they respawn), set after Ranboo visits Dream in the prison</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:20:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,713</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29166663</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BananasofThorns/pseuds/BananasofThorns</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Techno doesn't start his day expecting to fight the entire world to save his neighbor, mentee, and definitely-not-friend from getting thrown into super-prison, but here he is. Maybe caring isn't so bad after all. (The voices just call him soft.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Minor or Background Relationship(s), Ranboo &amp; Technoblade &amp; Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo &amp; Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1262</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Completed stories I've read</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>and it went like this</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>[title from &amp; - Tally Hall]</p><p>I started this after the stream where Ranboo visited the prison - aka when we had no idea what was going on - and it was supposed to be a relatively short thing with Techno breaking him out. It is now almost 10k words. I do not know how that happened; it just kept <i>going,</i> but it was very fun to write and I'm happy with how it turned out, so I'm not gonna complain. Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Techno raps his knuckles against the wall to Ranboo’s shack and waits. In his pocket, his other hand curls around a new ocean monument map; he’d traded with Orphan’s parents for another one and he’d figured he might as well take Ranboo along for the journey. It’ll be good training, and it’s always easier to navigate and fight through the monuments with someone else.</p><p>There’s no response from inside the shack, even after a few minutes. Techno frowns; usually, Ranboo answers pretty quickly, if he hadn’t seen Techno coming. Maybe he’s just in his basement. Techno knocks again, glancing around awkwardly as he waits. A cat blinks slowly at him from its place on the shack’s roof and he stares back at it until it looks away.</p><p>Still no response. </p><p>“Ranboo?” Techno calls. “You there?” He waits for a moment, then adds, “Okay, I’m comin’ in, you better not get mad at me for breakin’ and enterin’.”</p><p>The door to the shack opens easily and he steps inside, raising an eyebrow at the cramped space; he’d known the shack was small, obviously, but he’d figured that Ranboo would at least make the place more comfortable. There’s a bed pushed against one wall, a furnace and anvil against another, and a few chests are stacked in an alcove in the mountainside. Between the furnace and one of the chests, there’s a hole with a ladder leading down, and Techno steps towards it.</p><p>“Ranboo? You ignorin’ me?” He asks, jokingly, as he descends into the basement.</p><p>There’s no response. A few villagers hum in hello and he blinks at them, then at the basement itself, which is much larger and less ominous than he remembers. Still, there’s no sign of Ranboo.</p><p>“You’re not Ranboo,” Techno tells the nearest villager, who grunts at him and raises an eyebrow. “I’m lookin’ for him. Did he go out or somethin’?”</p><p>Usually Ranboo tells him or Phil when he’s leaving. It’s not like he has to, but Techno’s gotten used to the updates.</p><p>The villager grunts again. Techno’s mostly learned to understand the dialects on Dream’s world, but he still has to repeat the words in his mind a few times before he’s certain he got the translation right.</p><p>“‘A few days ago’?” He repeats. “For what?”</p><p>The villager shrugs. Another one hums, explaining that they haven’t seen Ranboo since he left. They’ve been looking after his animals for him, apparently.</p><p>“Did he say anythin’ about where he was goin’?” Techno asks with more concern than he would like to admit. The voices don’t help his worry.</p><p>The villagers exchange a look and hum in unison. Techno squints, trying to parse through their separate sentences. They said it in different ways, but they both seem to agree on the fact that wherever he went, it was important. Techno nods and hands them each a few emeralds from his inventory.</p><p>“Thanks. Uh, keep lookin’ after his pets until he comes back, I guess? I’m sure he’d appreciate it.”</p><p>The villagers nod. Techno scans the room one last time to make sure he hasn’t missed some big clue about Ranboo went and then climbs back up the ladder. After another quick look around the shack itself, he steps back into the snow, pulling up his communicator as he walks back towards the cabin.</p><p>
  <em> Technoblade to Philza: where u at? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Philza to Technoblade: the nether. did you need me for something? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Technoblade to Philza: you seen Ranboo lately? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Philza to Technoblade: no, not for a few days. why? is something wrong? </em>
</p><p><em> Technoblade to Philza: idk I’m looking for him right now. I was gonna go to another ocean monument but he’s not in his shack and his villagers said they haven’t seen him for a few days </em> <em><br/></em> <em> Technoblade to Philza: how far out are you? </em></p><p>
  <em> Philza to Technoblade: pretty far. I can check the guardian farm on my way back, though, see if he’s there </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Technoblade to Philza: if u want. I’m gonna go look for him now </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Philza to Technoblade: good luck </em>
</p><p>Techno sighs, minimizing the chat to rummage through his chests. He has no idea what he’s gonna need, but he grabs a few potions just in case - regeneration, speed, fire resistance. After a moment’s hesitation, he grabs a strength potion as well; it calms the voices down, at least, but he’ll have to brew more soon. His axe and trident are already in his inventory, along with a stack each of golden apples and carrots. After one final scan through his chests, he pulls his hood up, adjusts his boar skull mask, and steps back outside to head towards the Nether portal.</p><p>As usual, the piglins give him a wide berth as he stalks down the cobblestone path to the Nether hub. Concern battles with forced apathy in his chest; Ranboo’s probably just out adventuring or something, and he forgot to tell them he was leaving, which is fine. He’s his own person, he can do what he wants. A message or a heads-up would’ve been nice if he knew he was going to be gone for this long, though.</p><p>Techno freezes midstep. He can just message Ranboo - why hadn’t he done that earlier? That would be so much easier than spending his entire day searching the SMP for someone who he doesn’t even care about that much. The voices laugh.</p><p>
  <em> Technoblade to Ranboo: where u at </em>
</p><p>There. Techno minimizes the chat and glances around; he’s already over halfway to the Nether hub, he might as well go there anyway. It wouldn’t hurt to search a little while he waits for Ranboo to respond, which usually only takes a few minutes at most. He continues on his way, ignoring the voices shouting that something is wrong. They always think something is wrong and, more often than not, everything is fine. He hears Dream’s name said multiple times, and he rolls his eyes. When will they learn?</p><p>By the time he steps through the portal into the SMP main, though, there’s still no response from Ranboo. He shakes off the growing feeling of concern.</p><p><em> Technoblade to Ranboo: did you lose your communicator or something? </em> <em><br/></em> <em> Technoblade to Ranboo: I was gonna take you with me to another ocean monument but if u want to slack off on your training, that’s fine </em></p><p>He closes the chat again and glances around, frowning; now that he’s here, he has no idea where to start. The voices, for once, are helpful - most of them are still shouting about Dream, along with something about the prison, but a few say Niki’s name, and he nods. She and Ranboo are friends, he’s pretty sure, or they at least like each other. Talking to her will be as good a place as any to start.</p><p>“Thanks, guys,” he mutters under his breath; the voices briefly dissolve into various “you’re welcome”s.</p><p>
  <em> Technoblade to Nihachu: are you at your base? I need to ask you something </em>
</p><p>He starts in that direction anyway while he waits for a response. It only takes a moment before his communicator buzzes.</p><p>
  <em> Nihachu to Technoblade: No, but I can meet you at the community house in a few minutes </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Technoblade to Nihachu: pog </em>
</p><p>He’s already basically there, so he resigns himself to pacing the repaired crafting table floor while he waits. The SMP feels oddly still for the middle of the day, which only adds to his paranoid concern. Of course, the voices don’t help, and he mutters at them to shut up; there are only so many times he can hear the words “Dream” and “prison” repeated before he gets a headache.</p><p>Luckily, Niki shows up soon enough, ponytail bouncing as she jogs down the Prime Path.</p><p>“Hullo,” Techno calls, raising a hand in greeting.</p><p>She waves back. “Hey, Techno. What’s up?” Her eyes narrow as she studies him, then asks, “Is this about the Syndicate?”</p><p>“Uh, no, actually. Have you seen Ranboo lately? I know you guys, like, know each other or somethin’, so—” Techno frowns when a dark look flashes across Niki’s face. “What? Are you guys not friends, did I miss somethin’?”</p><p>“No, no, it’s not that - I mean, we aren’t as close as we once were, but.” Niki sighs. “You haven’t been here in the past week or so, have you?”</p><p>The voices are suddenly much louder and Techno winces, pressing his fingers to his temple. “Nah, I’ve been busy. Did I miss an important event or somethin’?”</p><p>Niki bites her lip. “So...Dream escaped. From the prison.”</p><p>Wait, Techno’s pretty sure he did actually hear about that. That’s also probably why the voices are shouting about it, even though that has nothing to do with Ranboo, as far as he knows. Why would it?</p><p>“Okay?” He says, gesturing for her to continue.</p><p>“Ranboo...I don’t know the full story, but Sam said that Ranboo was visiting when Dream got out. So Sam has been keeping Ranboo in the prison while he and the other guards build a new courthouse and work on collecting evidence for his trial.” Niki frowns, fiddling with the hem of her threadbare cloak. “It— it doesn’t look good for him, Techno, I’m not going to lie. If he helped Dream escape—”</p><p>“He didn’t,” Techno interrupts, far harsher than he means. He grimaces. “Sorry, sorry, that was aggressive. When— when is the trial?”</p><p>“It...pretty soon, actually, I was on my way there when you messaged me. Why?” Niki’s eyes widen. “You’re not going there, are you? Techno—”</p><p>Techno digs his fingertips into his temples; the voices are thunderous, screaming for blood and for him to rescue Ranboo. He agrees with them - there’s no way Ranboo let Dream out, Techno’s pretty sure he hates the guy - but the cacophonous shouting is <em>not </em>helping.</p><p>“Guys, guys, shut up, this is the opposite of helpful,” he mutters before wincing when he remembers that Niki is there. “Sorry, not you. Uh...you know where this trial is takin’ place, right?”</p><p>“Yes, but...Techno, I really do not think it is a good idea to try and defend him. I mean, he let Dream out of what was supposed to be an inescapable prison. That’s not...that’s not <em>good. </em>”</p><p>Techno frowns. “You don’t know that.”</p><p>“That’s what all the evidence points to, though! You can’t—”</p><p>Techno flicks his nails against the bone of his mask. “Niki, look. I’m not gonna make you help me with this if you don’t want to, but it <em>really </em>would not be a good idea to try and stop me. I don’t wanna fight you, okay? So just tell me where the trial is takin’ place before I cause mass amounts of property damage to find it. Okay?”</p><p>He waits, arms crossed expectantly. Niki glares at him for a moment that stretches far too long before she sighs, all the anger bleeding out of her posture.</p><p>“The courthouse is behind Skeppy and Bad’s mansion, near the prison.” She grimaces, then adds, “Everyone is going to be there, Techno, it’s going to be almost impossible to get him out without one or both of you dying. Neither of you will be able to show your face in the SMP again without Sam or the other guards trying to hunt you down.”</p><p>Techno laughs. “They’ve tried to stop me before, and I’m still here. It’ll be <em>fine. </em> Thank you for the information; I suppose I’ll let you be on your way. You thought about my offer any more?”</p><p>Niki purses her lips. “Tommy is still alive, is he not?”</p><p>It’s a rhetorical question, but Techno pulls up his communicator and flicks open the member list anyway. There, between<em>Technoblade </em>and <em>T</em><em>ubbo, </em>is <em>Tommy Innit. </em></p><p>“Yep.”</p><p>Niki nods. “I’ll see you around, Techno.” She steps around him and heads out the door towards Eret’s castle. Over her shoulder, she calls, “Good luck on your rescue mission.”</p><p>“Thank you. Bye,” Techno calls at her retreating form.</p><p>He switches to his chat with Phil on the communicator and uses the voice-to-text option as he opens his ender chest with his free hand.</p><p>
  <em> Technoblade to Philza: Found him, might need your help getting home. Meet me at the community portal ASAP, I’ll be bringing friends </em>
</p><p><em> Philza to Technoblade: I’m on my way back from the guardian farm, I’ll get there as soon as I can </em> <em><br/></em> <em> Philza to Technoblade: is he safe? </em></p><p>
  <em> Technoblade to Philza: No, but I’m taking care of it. Be ready for a fight, just in case </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Philza to Technoblade: got it. good luck, mate </em>
</p><p>Techno closes the chat and assesses the contents of his ender chest. His axe, trident, and sword are already in his inventory, along with pearls and golden apples. Both his bow and his rocket launcher are in the chest, but he doesn’t have any arrows or fireworks, so they’d be useless. There aren’t any potions, but after a few seconds of debating he grabs a couple enchanted golden apples; he’ll probably be going up against the entire server, this time without backup, and his one potion each of strength, speed, fire res, and regeneration will almost definitely not be enough. He grabs one of his totems, too, just in case.</p><p>“Withers?” He mutters, repeating what most of the voices are shouting for. “Yeah, sure, why not. That could be a good distraction.”</p><p>Six wither skulls and eight soul sand go into his inventory. He closes the ender chest and stands, taking a moment to rearrange his hotbar. After making sure that everything is in order, he grabs an enderpearl in one hand, his trident in the other, and drops into the lake around the community house.</p><p>“Gods, I hope this works,” he mutters, launching himself into the air and throwing the pearl as far as he can; it disappears from view as he drops back towards the ground. “That better not drop me into a hole or somethin’, that would be really inconvenient.”</p><p>It takes a minute or so for the pearl to land, but eventually the world shifts around him and he catches his footing near the museum. He tosses another pearl to get back to the Prime Path and then makes his way as quickly as he can towards Skeppy and Bad’s mansion. True to Niki’s word, he encounters nobody; the SMP itself seems to be holding its breath in anticipation.</p><p>The voices keep the silence from becoming unbearable, at least. He follows the Path all the way around the mansion until it stops, then drops onto the grass and continues from there. It isn’t hard to spot the courthouse; the quartz columns and dark oak walls easily stand out in the forest northeast of the mansion. Its grand doors are closed and unguarded, but Techno doubts they’re locked. The voices get louder as he approaches and he pushes them back with a forceful shake of his head. They’ll get their blood soon enough. He double-checks that all his potions and weapons are in reach and then grabs the doors’ handles.</p><p>Sure enough, they’re unlocked, and all takes is one strong push before they swing open. The short hallway is empty except for the two doors that line each side, but Techno strides right past them and heads for the double doors at the end of the hall. A kid he only vaguely recognizes - purple eyes, purple sweatshirt, full netherite - guards the courtroom entrance, but that’s it. Techno slows as he gets closer, baring his tusks in a faux-friendly smile.</p><p>“You can’t be here,” the kid says, stepping forward. “There’s a trial in progress.”</p><p>The voices, in between shouting for his blood, are saying that his name is Purpled. It’s fitting, Techno supposes. He shrugs.</p><p>“Eh. Whatever. How much can I bribe you with to let me in?”</p><p>Interest flashes in Purpled’s eyes. “I dunno, how much you got?” He doesn’t lower his guard, which is smart; Techno will give him that.</p><p>Techno hums. “Blocks of gold, iron, and emerald. C’mon, make it quick, I don’t got all day.”</p><p>He crosses his arms and straightens to his full height, towering a good foot over the kid, and Purpled raises his hands in surrender.</p><p>“Okay, okay! Gods, I was just asking. Let’s say...two blocks each of gold and iron, and five blocks of emerald, and I’ll let you in instead of telling the entire world that you’re here. Sound good?”</p><p>“Nah, nah, nah, nah, I don’t think so. You think I’m made of emeralds?” He kind of is, actually, but Purpled doesn’t need to know that. “Two blocks of gold, two blocks of iron, three blocks of emerald, and I’ll throw in a netherite ingot if you don’t come after me when I leave. That work?”</p><p>Purpled’s eyes light up. “Okay, I can deal with that.”</p><p>“Good.”</p><p>Techno pulls out his ender chest and sets it down, watching Purpled out of the corner of his eye to make sure he doesn’t try anything while he’s distracted. He pulls out the ores and tosses them over, then does one final check to make sure he’s not missing anything he’ll need for what is sure to be a fight. Nothing catches his eye, so he closes the chest and pulls out Toothpick to break it, then drops both back into his inventory. When he looks up, Purpled is still watching him warily from in front of the door. Techno raises an eyebrow.</p><p>“Well? C’mon, man, I gave you your stuff, now let me in.”</p><p>“Right, right, yeah. Of course, that’s my bad.”</p><p>Purpled pulls the door open quietly and Techno grins at him, tusks bared, as he passes. He’s only a foot into the room when the door slams shut, but as far as he can tell, it remains unlocked. Everyone - and, wow, Niki <em> really </em> wasn’t kidding when she said the entire world would be here - spins to face him. Most of them reach for a weapon.</p><p>Techno coughs. “Oh, wow, this is awkward. Hey, guys, what’s goin’ on?”</p><p>He scans the room; most of the people are seated in the audience - or they had been, before they shot to their feet when he entered - but Tubbo, Sam, and Quackity are all at the front of the courtroom. Behind them, chains attaching his handcuffed wrists to the iron bars of a cage built into the wall, is Ranboo, with Punz and Sapnap standing guard in front of him. Fury boils beneath Techno’s skin as he takes in what is <em> clearly </em> an incredibly unbiased trial; the voices shout for blood and he wants to scream with them, but he has to bide his time.</p><p>Tommy breaks the silence first, because of course he does. “What are you doing here, Technoblade?”</p><p>Techno shrugs, curling his fingers in preparation to grab the potions from his inventory. “Oh, you know. Stuff. Explorin’. You guys really do have a thing with unfair trials, huh?” He snorts. “At least Ranboo’s <em> gettin’ </em> one. Not that that really means anythin’, but y’know. It’s the thought that counts.”</p><p>“Ranboo is getting as fair a trial as he can with the evidence we have,” Sam says evenly, and Techno rolls his eyes.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, tell that to the unbiased judge. Oh, wait.”</p><p>Someone snorts. Techno’s not sure who. He glances towards Ranboo and finds the kid watching him with wide, sunken eyes; his clothes rumpled and torn, and it looks like he hasn’t slept in days. His cloak and all of his armor are missing and Techno’s willing to bet that it’s the same case for the rest of his items. His anger rises.</p><p>“Okay, look. I’m here for Ranboo, and if I have to kill all of you to get him out safely, then I will. Got it?”</p><p>“There’s like twenty of us and one of you,” Puffy protests.</p><p>Techno scoffs. “Right, like that’s stopped me before. Anyway, I have a few wither skulls on me right now, so if you want to do this the easy way and just let him go, I’d be cool with that.”</p><p>To prove his point, he pulls out one of the skulls and tosses it back and forth between his hands as he waits. Technically, the wither poison should be rotting away at his skin right now, but he’s spent so long collecting the skulls and carrying them around that he’s basically immune. It’s a very good intimidation tactic.</p><p>“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Technoblade,” Sam insists, voice still carefully, almost eerily calm. “Ranboo is our top and only suspect for how Dream escaped, and until we can come to the conclusion that this had nothing to do with him, he is under my custody as the warden of the prison.”</p><p>“Guilty until proven innocent?” Techno asks. He tosses the skull into the air and watches it spin as it falls. “Sounds like bullshit if you ask me.”</p><p>He catches the skull in his left hand. Before anyone can speak, he pulls his potions from his inventory and smashes them on the ground, welcoming the familiar sensation of their effects seeping into his skin. People shout but he ignores them, pulling out the final two skulls and enough soul sand to construct one wither; he builds it as far away from Ranboo as he can and trusts the crowd of people to keep it from targeting him. A low, echoing note vibrates the floor as the wither is spawned, lightning-blue energy swirling around its frame.</p><p>“Have fun with that!” Techno laughs, tossing a pearl towards Ranboo’s cage.</p><p>He pulls out his sword mid-teleport and lands ready to block the swing that Sapnap is already aiming at him. Their blades clash together and Techno squints at the familiar axe in Sapnap’s hand.</p><p>“Dude, that’s <em> mine. </em>”</p><p>“Oh yeah?” Sapnap taunts, pulling back for another swing. Techno shifts so that he can face both him and Punz at the same time. “You want it back, you’re gonna have to kill me.”</p><p>“That can be arranged.”</p><p>The voices cheer. Techno raises his sword and brings it down in a wide arc; it slams into Sapnap’s side and the man stumbles, blood staining his hoodie red. The strength and speed potions carry the momentum of the swing into Punz, who barely manages to raise his shield in time. Techno groans, pulling the blade away from the slightly splintered wood.</p><p>“You have a <em> shield? </em> Gods, that’s so annoyin’. I hate this.”</p><p>He switches his sword out for his axe, twirling its lighter weight in his hand. Behind him, Ranboo snorts, and Techno spares him a glance over his shoulder.</p><p>“Hey, Ranboo. I’ll get you out in a second, I gotta deal with these nerds first.”</p><p>“Yep, no worries. I’ll just...be here, I guess.” Ranboo waves his hands a bit so that his chains clatter against the ground.</p><p>“That’s the spirit,” Techno agrees to cover up his concern.</p><p>He easily sidesteps both Punz and Sapnap’s attacks. Sapnap has equipped a shield, now, but Techno just laughs and shifts his grip so that he’s holding the axe with both hands.</p><p>“I have an axe, Sapnap, you really think that’s gonna stop me?”</p><p>He swings and Sapnap shrieks, barely managing to deflect. “You said you hated shields!”</p><p>“Yeah, when I <em> didn’t have an axe!” </em></p><p>Techno slams the butt of his axe into the crack he’d already made in Punz’s shield; it shatters and Punz curses, throwing the pieces aside. Sapnap tries to use the opening to get a hit in, but Techno turns too fast and the Axe of Peace just scrapes across his chestplate. He sighs and raises the axe Ranboo had given him.</p><p>“C’mon, man, with my own weapon? That’s just rude.”</p><p>
  <em> [Sapnap was slain by Technoblade.] </em>
</p><p>Sapnap’s body disappears, leaving his items sitting in a small pool of blood. The voices roar and <em> “BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD” </em> echoes in Techno’s ears. He turns back to Punz, teeth bared in a savage grin, and relishes the fear that flashes through the man’s eyes. </p><p>Punz readies his sword, knuckles bloody from when his shield splintered, and Techno raises his axe. They stare each other down for a moment before Techno darts forward, too fast for Punz to react. He sweeps Punz’s legs out from beneath him and then slams his foot into the man’s chest; it doesn’t do much damage due to his chestplate, but it’s enough of a distraction for Techno to bring his axe down before he can recover.</p><p>
  <em> [Punz was slain by Technoblade.] </em>
</p><p>Techno spins to Ranboo, the red haze fading from his vision as he studies the cage and tries to figure out the best way to break it without also hurting Ranboo. Behind him, the wither shrieks as it dies, and he curses. With the last remnants of his strength potion, he slams his axe into the iron bars. The netherite blade shatters them into pieces.</p><p>“Oh my gods, that worked,” he mutters, shaking out his arm; the voices scream at him to watch his back. “Okay, I can’t really do anything about the handcuffs right now, but—”</p><p>The chains snap easily enough beneath the axe and Ranboo pulls himself free, standing on shaking legs. He has to hunch over so his head doesn’t smack against the cage’s ceiling, and Techno grimaces. Someone’s sword slams into his back, clanging off his armor, and his attacker yelps as his thorns repel them back. He doesn’t move, blocking Ranboo from the onslaught as he reaches into his inventory.</p><p>“Okay, here’s what we’re gonna do. You’re gonna take my trident and some of these pearls, and you’re gonna get to the Nether portal as quickly as you can. Phil should be waiting there, okay?” Techno ignores the blade that cuts into his arm. </p><p>Ranboo stares at him with wide eyes. “I—”</p><p>“Oh, you don’t have armor,” Techno realizes. “Fuck, okay, here. Can’t have you dyin’ on me, that would really defeat the purpose of this rescue mission.”</p><p>His head pounds as the voices scream at him to defend himself, but he pushes his totem into Ranboo’s pocket. </p><p>“I can’t—”</p><p>“Yes, you can, just pay me back when we get home. I’ll distract ‘em for you, Ranboo, so run as soon as I move, okay?”</p><p>Ranboo nods shakily, eyes wide as he stares over Techno’s shoulder at the crowd. Another weapon cuts into his side, slipping between the chinks in his armor, and he growls and reaches into his inventory. The enchanted apple thrums in his palm and he eats it as fast as he can, grinning as renewed health thrums through his veins.</p><p>“Ready?”</p><p>Ranboo nods, trident and pearls clutched awkwardly in his hands. “Okay. Please don’t die, Techno, that would be really bad.”</p><p>Techno scoffs. “You’re really underestimatin’ my abilities, here,” he says, and most of the confidence isn’t faked. “Okay, let’s do this.”</p><p>He turns and draws his sword in the same motion; the length of it - nearly six feet, from tip to hilt - sends the crowd stumbling back and he stalks forward, widening the distance between them and the cage. Out of the corner of his eye, he watches Ranboo dart away, disappearing into purple sparks before anyone can catch him. Ant and Sam go running after him, but the rest of the crowd closes in around Techno, who laughs. The voices murmur for blood, and he tilts his head in acknowledgment.</p><p>“You’re surrounded, Techno,” Quackity says in that low, dangerous voice of his. “There’s no way you’re getting out of this alive.”</p><p>Techno swings his sword in a casual arc just to watch everyone flinch back. “How many times have you said that, now? It’s startin’ to get old, man.”</p><p>Quackity growls, grip tightening on his axe. Techno charges forward, ignoring the blades that slash at him, and brings his sword down across Quackity’s chest. It’s not enough to kill him, not with his armor, but it’ll definitely slow him down. Before anyone else can get more than a cut on him - most of his wounds are already closing, thanks to the enchanted apple - he pearls towards the door. There are shouts when he reappears and people realize he has soul sand and wither skulls in his hands instead of his sword, but they’re too far away to do anything. The wither is summoned - the eerie, bone-numbing sound of it is like music to Techno’s ears - and he slams the door behind it before it can even think to target him.</p><p>He half-expects more people to be waiting in the hallway for an attack, but the place is empty. Afternoon sunlight streams in from the door, left open in Ant and Sam’s haste. He laughs, pulling a golden apple out of his inventory as he jogs towards the exit.</p><p>“Not even close, idiots!” He shouts, tapping his earpiece so that he knows everyone can hear him. “Technoblade never dies!”</p><p>He slows down to eat the apple so that he doesn’t choke, then starts running once he’s on the Prime Path. A few of his wounds still twinge, and now that he’s out of battle the voices’ screaming is starting to give him a pounding headache, but he has to make sure Phil and Ranboo are okay. He pulls up his communicator as he runs, selecting Phil’s icon to start a private call. When he tries to add Ranboo, the screen just flashes an error sign; he should’ve guessed that they would’ve deactivated his comms while he was imprisoned.</p><p>“Phil, you guys good? Is Ranboo there yet?” Techno asks as soon as the call connects.</p><p>“Hey, Techno,” Phil responds, sounding slightly out of breath. Techno frowns. “You almost to the portal? I could use a little backup; turns out the warden didn’t like your little jailbreak stunt.”</p><p>Techno grimaces, throwing a pearl as far as he can without his trident. He barely stumbles as it lands.</p><p>“I’m almost at Church Prime,” he says. “I’ll be at the portal in a minute. Ranboo’s safe, right? And you have a totem in case things go wrong?”</p><p>“Ranboo’s safe, I told him to go through the portal. He didn’t want to leave me, but he couldn’t fight very well with his hands still tied. You motherfucker—” Phil grunts. “Sorry. Angry kitty. Anyway, he’s heading back home. Gave me a totem, said I’d need it more than he would.”</p><p>“He <em> what?” </em> Techno asks, slowing down so that he can throw a portal across the community house lake. He disconnects the call as he jogs up the stairs towards the portal. “Phil, what do you <em>mean </em>he gave you the totem! I gave that to him so he wouldn’t fucking die while walking through the Nether without armor!”</p><p>He pauses at the top of the stairs to take in the scene. Phil is sitting cross-legged on top of the portal frame, wings spread slightly for balance. His spear is held loosely in one hand and he whacks Sam on the shoulder, grinning, as the warden turns at the sound of Techno’s voice. Ant hisses, blood matting his fur from a cut on his head.</p><p>“Hey, mate!” Phil calls as Techno walks forward. “Here, take this, I have an extra.”</p><p>A totem appears in his free hand; it flashes gold when he tosses it, and Ant and Techno dart forward at the same time to catch it. Techno gets there first and summons his sword to knock Ant out of the way. It’s not like he needs to, seeing as he has the height advantage to grab it anyway, but he thought it’d be funny. It is, and the voices cackle.</p><p>“You have an <em> extra?” </em> He repeats, tucking the totem into his pants pocket beneath his armor. “I’m goin’ to kill Ranboo if he doesn’t <em> die in the Nether first. </em>”</p><p>Sam clears his throat, tapping the butt of his glaive on the blackstone floor. “Technoblade, Philza, I’m afraid that if you do not let me and my compatriot through the portal to retrieve our prisoner, we will have to take you two captive as well. We don’t want to fight you, but we will.”</p><p>Phil laughs. “You <em> really </em> think you two can stop us? You were having trouble against just me, and Techno won’t hesitate to kill you both.”</p><p>“It’s not our fault you can fly,” Ant mutters.</p><p>Techno snorts. Before he can say anything, though, the voices rise in unison and at the same moment, Phil shoots to his feet atop the portal. Techno spins, raising his sword; Punz’s axe slams down on the blade, sending vibrations thrumming through Techno’s arms. The voices cheer, demanding blood for the attempt to harm him with his back turned. He sighs.</p><p>“C’mon, man, really? That’s kind of cringe.”</p><p>Punz just glares, pushing Techno’s sword away. He steps back slightly to stand beside Sapnap, and Techno scrunches up his nose. It’s clear they rushed here from wherever their spawn points are; neither of them are even in full netherite. They both brought shields, though, so Techno begrudgingly drops his sword back into his inventory and pulls out his axe.</p><p>“I’ve already killed you guys once today, c’mon. Now it’s just sad.”</p><p>“Let us get to the prisoner,” Sapnap says lowly. “We can end this without another fight.”</p><p>“He’s a kid!” Phil snaps; the late afternoon sunlight dims, slightly, and Techno doesn’t have to look back to know that his wings have spread angrily.</p><p>Sapnap’s eyes flash orange-gold. “He let Dream escape. That’s not a crime we can excuse.”</p><p>The voices roar and Techno’s not sure if the protective fury that rises in him is his or theirs. He snarls, stance widening as he readies his axe. He’s out of potions and doesn’t have time to eat a golden apple, but he won’t need it. Not for this fight. Behind him, feathers whoosh softly through the air as Phil jumps down to face off with Sam and Ant, but he doesn’t dare look away from Punz and Sapnap. They both eye him just as warily, poised to strike.</p><p>Techno doesn’t let them make the first move. He charges forward, throwing a pearl between them, and it lands so fast that they don’t have time to turn before his axe slams into Punz’s back. It cracks the diamond of his chestplate and he curses, stumbling forward. Sapnap spins, shield raised and eyes burning gold, and Techno blinks when he realizes that the blade of his sword has lit aflame. That’s...new.</p><p>Sapnap grins. “Yeah, how you like me now, huh?”</p><p>He slashes forward and Techno leans back, barely managing to not get the fur of his cloak singed. </p><p>“Well, I’m not gonna call you hot, if that’s what you wanted,” he deadpans, startling a laugh out of Punz, who jumps back into the fight like he somehow expects to not die at the end.</p><p>His axe skids off of Techno’s pauldron as he sidesteps; Punz stumbles past him, carried slightly too far by the momentum of his swing, and Techno uses the slip to slam the butt of his axe into the man’s arm. Punz shouts, shield falling as his arm spasms in pain, and Techno kicks it away before he can pick it back up. Sapnap narrows his eyes and tosses his own shield over.</p><p>Techno grins. “You sure you wanna do that?”</p><p>“Yeah, I’m sure.”</p><p>Sapnap’s smile is manic, his eyes too bright as they reflect the flames licking across his netherite blade. Techno shifts, making sure not to let either of them get a surprise attack, and Sapnap laughs.</p><p>“Not so tough now, are you?”</p><p>“You don’t have a shield,” Techno retorts.</p><p>He darts forward before Sapnap can respond; instead of raising his axe, like they expect, he doesn’t stop until he’s face-to-face with the other hybrid, the flames of the sword dancing against his neck. Sapnap’s eyes go wide.</p><p>“What—”</p><p>“You really thought you were the only Nether hybrid here?” Techno scoffs, tugging the sword from his hands. The handle burns, slightly, but the fire goes out as soon as Sapnap is no longer touching the weapon. “C’mon, man. Lame.”</p><p>An axe slams into Techno’s side and he grunts, stumbling away from Sapnap. He turns, shifting his grip on both the weapons in his hands, to glare at Punz. The voices are loud in his head, begging for blood, and he complies. For the second time in less than an hour, Punz’s shield shatters beneath the force of two blades, one still red-hot to the touch, and he and Sapnap disappear into smoke.</p><p><em> [Punz was slain by Technoblade.] </em> <em><br/></em> <em> [Sapnap was slain by Technoblade.] </em></p><p>Techno drops Sapnap’s sword, wincing as he shakes out his hand. He’s not as fire-resistant as he’d acted, and his palm is going to hurt until he can drink a regeneration potion. Even a golden apple will only do so much, but he quickly eats one anyway to lessen the pain before rushing to Phil’s aid. The other man has Sam handled pretty well, but Ant has taken advantage of his distraction; Techno grabs him and throws him out of the portal seconds before the purple can whisk him away into the Nether.</p><p>“Nope,” he warns as Ant scrambles to his feet, “don’t even think about it.”</p><p>“I’m not scared of you,” Ant says, reaching for his daggers.</p><p>Techno chuckles. “You should be.”</p><p>He summons his sword, ignoring the twinge of pain from his burned palm. Ant’s daggers look almost comical against the greatsword’s blade. </p><p>The cat hybrid is agile, but it doesn’t take long for Techno to learn how to predict his movements, and the next time Ant tries to leap at him, he cuts him out of the air. Ant goes skidding across the ground; he doesn’t move for a moment, and the only reason Techno knows he’s still alive is because his body doesn’t disappear.</p><p>“Techno,” Phil calls. “Wait.”</p><p>The voices, always greedy, are shouting for Ant’s blood, but Techno turns, making sure to not take his attention completely off of Ant, no matter how defeated he may seem. He smirks at the scene before him; Sam’s hands are raised as Phil points both his spear and Sam’s own glaive at the warden’s chest, wings raised defensively.</p><p>“Alright, listen up,” Phil says. He lowers the weapons but slams them both against the ground when Sam starts to move. “Nah-ah, didn’t say you could do that. Okay. I’m gonna give you two options, here: option one, you leave and don’t try and follow us. Option two, we kill you. Sound good?”</p><p>Sam glances at Ant, who is struggling to sit up. “How do we know you won’t just kill us once our backs are turned?”</p><p>Phil shrugs. “We keep our word. Right, Techno?”</p><p>“Mhm.”</p><p>The voices aren’t happy about it, but they can deal. He’ll happily stay and kill these two if that’s what needs to happen, but most of him just wants to make sure that Ranboo is okay. The voices laugh at him for going soft, but he just rolls his eyes.</p><p>Sam is silent for a long moment before he sighs. “Fine. We’ll let you go. But if any of you ever show your face in the SMP again—”</p><p>“You’ll track us down, kill us, put us in prison,” Techno interrupts, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. We get it, man.”</p><p>“Alright. Techno, let Ant go.”</p><p>Techno doesn’t put his sword away but he does step back, watching Ant with narrowed eyes as the hybrid limps towards Sam. Phil waits a moment to make sure that they won’t try anything before carefully laying Sam’s glaive on the ground.</p><p>“You can come back and get this later,” he says. “Go on, now.”</p><p>Sam stares at him impassively for another moment before turning, hunched over so that Ant can lean on him. Neither Techno nor Phil move to put their weapons away until the pair are completely out of sight.</p><p>Phil lets out a long breath. “We need to go.”</p><p>“Yep.”</p><p>Techno drops his sword back into his inventory as they’re whisked away into the oppressive, familiar heat of the Nether. When he steps out of the portal frame, boots tapping quietly on the blackstone bricks, the first thing he sees is Ranboo, crouched atop some of the chests, trident clutched in his hands. Techno frowns.</p><p>“I thought I told you to run.”</p><p>Ranboo scrambles to his feet. “I did! But I don’t exactly have any armor and getting all the way back to the portal was going to suck without it, so I just. Waited.” He looks away, fiddling with his fingers. “...and I wanted to make sure you guys made it back okay.”</p><p>“I gave you the totem for a <em> reason, </em> Ranboo,” Techno mutters. He pulls it out of his pocket and goes to hand it back when he realizes Ranboo’s hands are still cuffed together. “Oh, shit, right. Uh...one second. Hold out your hands for me? This might hurt a bit.”</p><p>“It’s fine.”</p><p>Ranboo sets the trident aside and holds out his hands, moving them apart a little so that Techno can get a good grip on the chain connecting the cuffs. The voices yell at him to be careful and he rolls his eyes at them; he knows what he’s doing. Probably. This’ll be quicker than trying to pick the lock or break the cuffs off separately, at any rate.</p><p>“You ready? Three, two—”</p><p>He pulls as hard as he can and the cuffs snap off into his hand. Ranboo barely winces even when the metal digs into his skin, and Techno’s not sure if he should be concerned about that or not.</p><p>“Alright, there you go.” Techno glances over his shoulder and winces internally at the unamused look on Phil’s face. “What? It worked, didn’t it?”</p><p>“That’s true, it did,” Ranboo agrees, shaking out his wrists. “Thanks, Techno. You didn’t—”</p><p>“Ah, ah, none of that. We’re gonna talk about everything in a bit, but for now, let’s head home. I’m pretty sure we’re all wanted criminals by now.”</p><p>Ranboo laughs, following Techno down the path. Phil snorts, muttering something that sounds like, “So what’s new?” under his breath, and Techno glances back at them both, unable to stop his smile from turning fond.</p><p>+++</p><p>It’s only after they step out of the portal into the frozen arctic that Techno remembers that Ranboo’s cloak and extra layers had been taken when he’d been put in the prison. Phil seems to realize at the same time, because he’s already pulling his own cloak off when Techno opens his mouth to say something.</p><p>“Here, mate, take this,” Phil says, passing the bundle of fabric over to Ranboo, who startles.</p><p>“No, I don’t— I’m not as affected by the cold as you are - enderman, y’know? - I don’t need—”</p><p>Phil smiles, exasperated and fond. “Take it, Ranboo.”</p><p>Ranboo sighs and allows Phil to drape the cloak over his shoulders. It’s almost comically short, barely falling past his thighs, but he tugs it tighter around himself anyway, one hand still curled tight around Techno’s trident.</p><p>“Do you need new armor or anythin’?” Techno asks.</p><p>Ranboo shakes his head. “No, I’ve got backups of basically everything in my ender chest and I have another set of armor in my comfort room. I’ll just...have to make new backups at some point, I guess. At least I won’t be bored for a while?” </p><p>For a few moments, the only sound is the crunch of their footsteps against the snow before Ranboo murmurs, “Oh, gods, I don’t— Sam took my memory book. The new one. I—”</p><p>“We can get you a new one,” Techno assures, cutting off his panic. </p><p>Ranboo nods shakily. “Okay. Okay. Th— thank you, Techno.”</p><p>“Mhm.” Techno pauses at the base of the cabin’s stairs, scanning both Ranboo and Phil for injuries. “Phil, you’re not that injured, are you?”</p><p>“Nope.”</p><p>“Okay, cool. Can you go and grab Ranboo’s armor for him? I’m gonna get him some new clothes and get us both bandaged up.”</p><p>Ranboo straightens. “I can—”</p><p>“Ranboo, I just broke you out of a courtroom cage after you were in a max security prison for like three days, maybe more, I dunno. Let us help you, yeah?” Techno pauses, taking in the tightness of Ranboo’s knuckles and the wariness in his eyes. “...you don’t have to let him into your stuff if you don’t want to.”</p><p>“No, no, it’s fine, I just—” Ranboo bites his lip, picking at the engravings on the trident’s hilt. “You guys don’t need to help me,” he mutters.</p><p>Techno scoffs. “Like I ever do anythin’ I don’t want to do.”</p><p>Phil laughs. “We really don’t mind, Ranboo. And I’m not gonna go into your comfort room if you don’t want me to, okay?”</p><p>“It’s fine, I don’t mind.” Ranboo pauses, eyes flicking between Phil and the ground. “Can you grab Enderchest for me? If you can find her. It’s fine if you can’t.”</p><p>“Yeah, of course. The one with the red collar, right?” Ranboo nods. “Cool. I’ll be back in a bit, then.”</p><p>Phil turns and starts to trek through the snow to Ranboo’s shack, patting the polar bears on the head as he goes. Ranboo stares after him, only moving when Techno gently nudges his arm.</p><p>“Let’s go, man, I don’t wanna have to stand outside for longer than I have to.”</p><p>He trudges up the stairs, holding the door open for Ranboo to go inside first. It’s immediately warmer in the cabin and he sighs, shrugging off his cloak and hanging it on the hook near the door. He only hesitates for a moment before pulling off his mask and setting it on the table. Ranboo stares as the voices coo about how he’s going soft, and Techno ignores them both as he climbs the stairs to his room.</p><p>“C’mon,” he calls over his shoulder, fingers working to undo the straps on his armor. “Your clothes are all scuffed and I need to make sure you aren’t injured or anythin’.”</p><p>“Right,” Ranboo mutters, rushing to follow. “I think this is the first time I’ve seen you without the mask.”</p><p>Techno grunts, pulling off his armor and arranging it on the armor stand to polish later. He brings out his axe and sword from his inventory and leans them against the wall so that he doesn’t forget to clean and sharpen them. When he glances over his shoulder, Ranboo is lingering awkwardly in the doorway, slightly hunched so that he fits in the frame. He startles when he sees Techno looking.</p><p>“Did you get the Axe of Peace back?” He asks, and Techno blinks.</p><p>“Nah. It’s probably back in the courthouse somewhere if they haven’t picked it up yet.”</p><p>Ranboo frowns. “You killed Sapnap, though, you could’ve grabbed it when he died.”</p><p>“Eh.” Techno shrugs, reaching for the bandages he keeps in his nightstand. “Wait, I fuckin’...one second.”</p><p><em> Technoblade to Philza: can u grab some regen potions when you come up? </em> <em><br/></em> <em> Technoblade to Philza: I forgot them downstairs </em></p><p>He flicks the communicator closed. “Sorry. Anyway. What was I sayin’? Oh, right, the axe. Nah, I already have one that’s just as good, I don’t need that one back. ...and it would’ve been awkward to grab it in the heat of the battle,” he adds hastily when the voices all start aww-ing in unison.</p><p>Ranboo chuckles. “Right, right, that makes sense. Oh, hold on,” he blinks down at the trident and then thrusts it at Techno like it’s burnt him. “This is yours. Sorry for holding on to it for so long.”</p><p>“Eh, it’s fine.” Techno bites back a comment on how Ranboo looked like he needed to know he could protect himself. “Thank you.”</p><p>He sets the trident against the wall by his sword and axe. Ranboo nods, swaying back and forth slightly as he glances around the room. He crosses his arms over his chest and winces, so subtle that Techno would’ve missed it if not for how the voices immediately rise in concern.</p><p>“Oh, right, I was gonna— did they hurt you?”</p><p>“Not really. I’m not— I don’t remember very well, to be honest, but my ribs hurt whenever I press on them. I think I fell at some point. I’m not really sure. And there’s the water burns, obviously, but....”</p><p>Techno winces. “Oh, gods, I forgot you didn’t have armor when I told you to use the trident to escape.”</p><p>“It’s fine! It’s fine,” Ranboo insists. “I’m used to them. They’re not that bad anymore, honestly, now that I’ve dried off.”</p><p>He rolls up his sleeves and Techno grimaces at the burns warping the skin of his forearms. They don’t look like they’re “not that bad,” and he briefly wonders how high Ranboo’s pain tolerance is. It’s got to be nearly as good as Techno’s, which...isn’t necessarily a good thing.</p><p>“And it’s like that everywhere?”</p><p>Ranboo shrugs. “Everywhere the water touched. I’m fine from, like, the shoulders up, and my feet aren’t too bad because of my boots.”</p><p>“Okay, that’s good. Phil’ll be back soon with your armor and some potions, but until then...here, let me get you some cleaner clothes. Yours are kind of scuffed from the whole prison escape thing.”</p><p>Ranboo laughs, glancing down at himself. His shirt and pants are wrinkled and stained with either soot or blackstone dust - or both - and blood has seeped and dried into the collar of his shirt. He picks at the spot for a second, eyes going cloudy, before his awkward smile returns full-force. If Techno hadn’t been watching him the entire time, he would’ve thought that nothing was wrong.</p><p>“Yeah, I think that’d be good,” Ranboo agrees, voice light.</p><p>His acting skills are slightly terrifying, but Techno lets it slide. “Okay, let’s see...you’re like a foot taller than me, but you’re also super skinny, so my clothes’ll probably fit you? The pants might be a bit short, but that’s fine...I can lend you one of my cloaks, too, until we can get you another one. Mine’ll probably fit a lot better than Phil’s.”</p><p>“Alright. Thank you again, Techno, seriously, I— hm. I probably would not have had a very good time if you hadn’t shown up.”</p><p>Techno snorts. “You would’ve been in <em>jail. </em>”</p><p>He grabs a pair of pants, an extra cloak, and two shirts - one for him, one for Ranboo - out of his closet and passes the clothes over. Ranboo holds the bundle tight to his chest, fingers digging into the fabric.</p><p>“This is heavy,” he mutters, frowning slightly.</p><p>Techno shrugs, scrunching his face up when the movement causes a cut on his shoulder to twinge. “I get cold easily, alright?” His cloaks are basically weighted blankets, but he’s strong enough that he’s pretty much forgotten that most people don’t expect that. “I can probably find you another one if—”</p><p>“No, no, it’s fine.” Ranboo grins. “If I can pick up spawners, I can carry around an abnormally heavy cloak.”</p><p>Techno snorts. “Yeah, yeah, we get it, main character. There’s a spare room across the hall, you can change and stay there for tonight. Phil or I’ll check on you in a bit.”</p><p>“Okay. I know I’ve said this a lot, but...thank you, Techno. Seriously. I— thank you.”</p><p>Ranboo’s smile turns soft and grateful when he glances over his shoulder on the way out, and Techno looks away so that Ranboo won’t see his own lips twitch into a fond grin. He pulls his shirt over his head, wincing when it tears at the dried blood from his multiple cuts, and uses the pain to distract him from his <em>feelings. </em>The voices, of course, laugh.</p><p>+++</p><p>Dinner is a quiet, borderline-awkward affair. Ranboo curls almost protectively around his bowl of stew, swamped in Techno’s cloak, and Techno and Phil both don’t even bother to pretend like they’re not watching him out of the corners of their eyes. Techno taps his fingers on the table, the rhythm of one of Wilbur’s songs whose lyrics he’s long forgotten, and tries to sort through the questions that’ve been building since he first found Ranboo missing. The voices, try as they might, do not help.</p><p>Phil breaks the silence first. “I got your armor when for when you want it, by the way. I couldn’t get Enderchest, though, she was too squirrely.”</p><p>Ranboo smiles, and it almost reaches his eyes. “That’s okay. She doesn’t really like new people that much. I...can you—?”</p><p>He pushes his empty bowl away and stands, hands held out awkwardly like he can’t decide what to do with them. Phil nods, stepping around the tablet. Ranboo almost immediately relaxes once the armor is in his hands, and he starts strapping the guards to his forearms and shins like it’s second nature.</p><p>“You don’t have to wear that around us, you know,” Techno says before he can stop himself.</p><p>Ranboo freezes, hands hovering over his chestplate and the clasp of the cloak. “What?”</p><p>“Your armor,” Techno clarifies, because there’s no backing out now. “You don’t gotta...look, man, you’re safe here. Nothing’s gonna happen to you, okay? Even <em> I </em> don’t wear my armor when I’m just sittin’ around, and I’m <em> me.” </em></p><p>“But—”</p><p>“No one’s gonna come for you here, and if we do, we’ll just kill ‘em,” Phil assures.</p><p>“Okay,” Ranboo mutters. He drops his chestplate and pauldrons into his inventory but leaves his arm and leg guards. Techno doesn’t push it. “I— yeah. Okay. Thank you.”</p><p>“‘Course, mate. That’s what friends are for.”</p><p>Ranboo nods slowly. “Friends,” he repeats, like the word is a novelty. “Yeah, okay.”</p><p>+++</p><p>“Hey, Techno,” Ranboo murmurs when Techno enters the living room to find him sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace, cloak pooled around his legs.</p><p>He doesn’t look away from the dancing flames. Techno sits beside him, leaning back against the wall. The heat of the fire is comforting; it reminds him of the Nether. He wonders what Ranboo is thinking about.</p><p>“I have somethin’ for you,” he says instead of asking. “I realized we just completely forgot about it earlier, but...here.”</p><p>Ranboo looks over, eyes going wide when he sees the journal that Techno is holding out. He grabs it, hands shaking slightly, and opens it to the first page. Some of the tension bleeds out of him when he finds it blank.</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>“Yeah, no problem, man. I have a pen if you wanna start writin’ things down.”</p><p>Ranboo nods but stays silent and doesn’t reach out, so Techno just leans back, watching the shadows dance golden on the ceiling. It’s late, late enough that Phil has been asleep for hours, but he’s not tired. Ranboo probably is, but he makes no move to get up and go to his room even though Techno can see his eyelids drooping as he stares into the fireplace. Techno coughs.</p><p>“If you’re tired, you should go to bed, man. I doubt the prison was very comfortable.”</p><p>Ranboo smiles humorlessly. “It wasn’t.” He falls silent again for a long moment before whispering, “I don’t want to dream again.”</p><p>Techno tilts his head; he’s no stranger to nightmares. “About the prison?”</p><p>“Sometimes. Not— it’s not the focus or anything, but...yeah. I don’t know. It’s hard to tell if I’m dreaming or not, sometimes.”</p><p>The voices are talking about Dream again, and this time Techno thinks he knows why.</p><p>“Well, I usually stay up pretty late, so you can always hang out with me if you don’t wanna be alone.” He pauses. “Not because I care or anythin’, but—”</p><p>Ranboo laughs. “Thanks, Techno.”</p><p>“I do still think you should sleep at some point, though, because sleep deprivation will hinder your trainin’—”</p><p>“Right, right, we wouldn’t want that,” Ranboo agrees. “I’ll...try.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>They lapse back into silence. Techno watches through his eyelashes as Ranboo slowly drifts asleep sitting up, the exhaustion from the past few days catching up to him whether he likes it or not. When he starts to tip forward, Techno catches him, shifting him so that they’re sitting next to each other, Ranboo’s head pillowed on his shoulder. He grabs the memory book and debates setting it in Ranboo’s lap. Something makes him pause, though, and he carefully pulls the pen from his pocket and starts writing as quietly and neatly as he can.</p><p>
  <em> This is Techno. You fell asleep before you could write anything and I figured today was kind of important, so. I’m writing it down for you, I guess. Tell me if this is an invasion of your privacy or anything, I wouldn’t want to be weird. Anyway. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> You were missing for about three days, according to your villagers. I went to the SMP to find you and Niki told me that everyone thought you’d helped Dream escape, and that they were holding a trial for you. I broke you out and held everyone off so you could escape.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> You lost all of your items when you were being held captive, so this is a new memory book, if you hadn’t noticed. The armor in your inventory is your backup set; Phil got it from your comfort room, with your permission. You’re wearing bandages because you had to use the trident to escape and you didn’t have armor yet. Remind me or Phil to give you some more regen potions. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Anyway. We let you stay in the cabin while you healed. I honestly wouldn’t mind if you wanted to move in, but we’d probably have to build a new place for your animals and villagers; there’s not enough space for all of us in here. You don’t have to wear your armor while you’re inside, but you can if you want to. If the nightmares ever get too bad, talk to me. I’m not the best at advice but I know what it’s like. I could probably figure out something. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I think that’s all the important stuff. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I’ll help you grind out more materials for new items if you want. It’ll be a part of your training. </em>
</p><p>Techno pauses, then adds, <em> Sorry it took us so long to notice you were gone. I came to save you as fast as I could once I realized. </em></p><p>The voices are calling him soft. He’s inclined to agree.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thank you for reading! fight scenes are so hard but I wrote two of them anyway sdjfkjsd hopefully they weren't too bad. comments and kudos are greatly appreciated 💛💛</p><p>I also went with more "traditional" realistic Minecraft mechanics instead of what I normally do, and it was fun! I'll probably stick to my gods AU/lore (in which only gods have access to inventory, etc) but I might write more like this, we'll see. also sorry there wasn't more Phil content, I wanted this fic to focus mostly on Ranboo &amp; Techno</p><p>Also, if anyone's curious, I based Techno's sword design - mostly the handle and length - off of Yasha's sword Skingorger (from Critical Role).</p></blockquote></div></div>
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